Stilwell trick horse rider coming down for her 4th Sallisaw rodeo performance

The majority of the 79th annual Sallisaw Lions Club Rodeo performers, along with rodeo announcer Matt McGee and rodeo clown Colten Ulmer, are traveling quite a distance to be at next week’s big event. Not so, for Stilwell trick horse rider Sophie Duch.

Such, 15, will once again entertain rodeo fans with her Annie Oakley Wild West Act for the fourth straight year — minus the COVID year of 2020.

“I’m super excited about it,” Duch said. “This will be my fourth year (to come). I was there in 2019. Of course, 2020 was the COVID year — not much happened. I returned in 2021 and 2022, and now in 2023.”

The fact the event is just about a half an hour away makes this event a very practical one for Duch.

“It’s only about 30 minutes (away),” she said. “We come home every night. I get to sleep in my own bed. It’s super close to home, so lots of friends and family get to come out to watch and visit. It’s super awesome and pretty cool.”

Not only does Duch and her family like that, but so, too, do her horses — probably even more so.

“It’s not super important for me, but for the horses, it’s a whole lot more important for them because they get to come home to a place they’re comfortable and rest,” the Stilwell trick horse rider said. “On the road, they’re kind of unfamiliar with where they’re at and everything. They never really rest well on the road, but they get to come home and rest. I think that helps a lot.”

This event’s atmosphere makes this one to which Duch wants to keep returning for as long as she is asked.

“It’s a super great rodeo,” she said. “They have a good crowd all three nights. The people are super nice. We get taken care of really good. Friends and family get to come watch, and the people like me — or they seem to, anyway.”

The 15-year-old says she is living out her dream.

“I saw it when I was at a rodeo when I was 3 years old,” Duch said. “It was just a dream that stuck with me ever since. I never quit chasing my dreams, and here I am living my dream.”

Duch is quick to point out that fans at this year’s event can count on seeing something different than in 2022.

“I try to either try to add a completely new act or I’ll build and add new things to my current act,” said Duch, who has been performing professionally for seven years. “Like the Roman riding, this will be the first year of me jumping the fire. In years previous, I’ve only jumped a regular jump. This year, I decided to add the fire. That gives it a whole other element to the act.”

One of, if not the biggest, thrill the Stilwell teen gets warm-fuzzy feelings over is seeing the looks on the faces of young girls who might aspire to do the same trait as she does.

“The fun part is just seeing all the little girls that inspire to be just like me, and watch my every move,” Duch said. “It’s amazing to me how I’m such a big role model to so many people.”

In 2021, Duch was named American Finals Rodeo (AFR) Contact Act of the Year, while earning the same awards from Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association (CRRA) in 2019 and 2021.

In 2019, she also was selected the International Finals Rodeo (IFR) Contact Act Showcase winner and International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) Contact Act Showcase winner in 2018 at the IFR in Oklahoma City.

During her seven-year professional career, Duch has received the 2017 Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA) Reserve National Champion Mounted Shooter, being in the Top 10 in the World Championship Mounted Shooting Competition for the 2016-17 season, the 2016 Mounted Shooters of America (MSA) World Champion Mounted Shooter and Lazy E Classic Champion Mounted Shooter, the 2015-17 Oklahoma and/or Arkansas State Champion Mounted Shooter and the 2013 National Roper’s Supply (NRS) Mounted Shooting Champion.